The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Surgical procedures can be performed on a patient for various purposes. Surgical procedures can use multiple techniques and instruments. Because many procedures are performed within or affect a patient's internal anatomy, it is desirable to provide a system that allows a determination of a position of an instrument, an implant, or a treatment affect relative to the patient during an operative procedure.
Imaging devices can provide image data of portions of the patient, both internal and external. For example, a fluoroscope, magnetic resonance imager, etc. can be provided to obtain image data of a selected portion of the patient's anatomy. The image data can be used to view a selected portion of the anatomy. It is desirable, however, to provide the image data to plan or select an appropriate or optimum therapy factor. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a system that allows for ease and efficiency of determining a position of an instrument relative to the patient for viewing on a display. This can assist in determining a position of the instrument or implant relative to the patient during an operative procedure. It is also desirable to provide a system that assists in determining a position and instrument that provides an optimized therapy to an affected region.
A tracking or navigation system can be used to track and determine the position of a probe or device relative to the anatomy. It is desired, however, to provide a navigation system and tracking system that is operable to determine the position to a probe relative to a portion of the anatomy for a probe in a non-invasive configuration. It is further desirable to provide a system that is operable to determine the position of a probe to further determine the location of a therapy or stimulation being provided to the anatomy by the probe. It is desirable to provide such a tracking system to determine the position of the device and to plan the appropriate positioning of a device for providing a therapy or stimulation to the anatomy.
The tracking or navigation of a non-invasive probe can be performed with an optical system. An optical system, however, requires line or sight, a tracking device affixed to the probe. etc. The tracking device can be large or cumbersome, in various designs. In addition, the optical tracking device requires an additional component added to the probe. It is desirable, therefore, to provide a small tracking device or eliminate the need for a separate tracking device on the probe.